Mast or support for life-saving apparatus



Mar. 3, 1925 1,528,448

' F. MAYER Y MAST on SUPPORT FbR LIFE SAVING APPARATUS Filed Aura. 1, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Mar. 3, 1925.

F. MAYER MAST 0R SUPPORT FOR LIFE SAVING APPARATUS Filed Auz. 1, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 .7nvenfor.

W frifz Mayer by. M/IJ- Mar. 3, 1925 F. MAYER MAST 0R SUPPORT FOR LIFE SAVING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet :5

Filed Aufl. l, 1921 z'n e ren. tor:

Mar. 3, 1925. 1,528,448

F. MAYER' MAST OR SUPPORT FOR LIFE SAVING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 1, 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Mar. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRITZ LTAYER, OF ULIVL, GERMANY, AQSIGNOR TO THE FIRMfG. D. MAGIRUS A. -G.,OF

ULM-ON-TI-IE-DANUBE, WURTTEMBERG, GEREIIANY.

MASTOR SUPPORT FOR LIFE-SAVING APPARATUS.

Application filed August 1, .1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known'that I, FRITZ MAYER, a citizen ot the German Republic, and a resident of Uhuon-the-Danube, lVurttemberg, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Masts or Supports for Life-SavingApparatus (for which I have tiled an application in Germany, July 10,

1915), of Which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto a mast or support for lite-saving apparatus and the like which is capable of being inclined as desired and is telescopically extensible and the movements of which may be executed with varying velocity. The masts already known provided with head searclrlight are as a rule operated in such a manner that the elevationand extension of the mast take place uniformly and at the same time. In view of this the change from one speed to an other must take place gradually and with due regard for the effect of the weight of the mass 01'. the Searchlight at the head of the mast so that the mast, while being erected, during the first period of its inclination, and so long as itsposition deviates little from the horizontal, is moved slowly, the speed of movement being not increased till shortly before the vertical position is reached.

In comparison with this known apparatus, the present invention has for its object to introduce automatic changes of speed at the appropriate moments, these being under control of the operator. In this Way the risk of endangering the stability of the apparatus through inattention or mistakes in driving is avoided. A further important feature is that this change in speed need not take place gradually but may be effected suddenly and in a moment so that an appreciable saving of time is brought about. In the drawings, the essential features of the invention are represented in, a practical construction by way of example.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation-of the complete mechanism, the mast or rescue ladder being in its telescoped or loweredposition.

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate the different mechanisms provided for the operation of the ladder, as seen in front elevation and in plan respectively.

Serial N0. 488,976.

Fig. 4C is aside elevation of variouselements ot the driving-mechanism.

In Figs-3, 5 and 6 the mechanism provided for eltectingthe changes in speedof the movements of the ladder is represented.

Figs. 5 and 6 givethe outlines .of the mechanism at different stagesof itsepera' tion. A p

F 7- is a front-view (partly'in dotted lines to show some otherwise covered memhers of the mechanism) of the-.complete actuating mechanism, or, in otherwordsya combination of the parts eshown diagrammatically in the letthand portionoit Figure 1 with the details illustrated intheFigures 812, the whole being drawn on a greatly increased scale in proportion to Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a vertical section through a-casing containing severalgears, theselatterxbe ing shown in side-view and the plan of section lying at right angles to Fig. 7,.i. e. parallelly to the longer edgesof the sheet. Fig. 9 is a horizontal section through'one (58) of these gears, viz. the lowestof Fig. 8, and being drawn on a still lar erJscale. Fig. 10 is a horizontal-section tlirough one of the coupling chambers provided in said casing Fig. 11 is a similar section through anothersuch chamber .(61), and Fig. 12 is also, such a section (through chamber 63); thescale of these three figures is the same asthat of Fig. 8.

For the operation of the apparatus the motors chosen may be-otany-kind which may be started and stoppeddirectlyor by means of a control-gear (fluid transmission reversing gear or the like). The motors and the associatedreversing gear 2 are mounted upon the carrying platform 1 of the ladder. Fronrth'egear .projectithe driving shafts 3, l, one otwhich 3 serves .to elevate or incline the mast or ladder 6, which is mounted in bearings The driving power is transmitted by toothed-wheels 7, 8, and a set of bevel wheels 9 and 10 (Fig. 7) to the driving spindle 11. Onthe latter is engaged a nut 12, which, with a tube 13 is pivoted on bolts or pins 14 on the lower part of the ladder. ;l3y rotation of the spindle 11, the nut 12 is caused .to travel along the same and the ladder is turned aboutthe axis 5, that is, itis elevated or inclined. "Round the shaft 4,Wl1l(3h effects the extension and retraction of the mast or ladder, are led belts or cables 16 and 17 for the rotation of the drum 18.

.The control of the gear 2 is accomplished singly enclosed in pressure-tight chambers (Fig. 8). The couplings are supported on three shafts, as described in detail hereinafter.

One of these shafts is the shaft 50, Figs. 840, which is one of the members for erecting the mast, as well as for tilting it. It has affixed to it a worm 51 which meshes with a worm-wheel 53 aflixed to a shaft 52 having secured to it, besides said worm- .wheel, a bevel-wheel 9 meshing with another 1 bevel-wheel 10 keyed to the erection spindle 11. This spindle is threaded and is encompassed at its other end by a nut 12, Fig. 1, aflixed to the adjacent end of a tube 13 hinged with its other end to a bolt o-r pivot 14 forming a member of the lower structure of the ladder. Corresponding to the direction of rotation of the spindle 11 the nut passes along this latter in the one or the other direction, and the lower structure of the ladder is turned upon the axle 5, whereby the ladder is erected or tilted, as the case may be.

The shaft extends downwardly into a chamber 5st which contains the gear for the quick erection of the ladder. This gear consists of a cog-wheel 55 afiixed to the shaft 50, of two cogged disks 58 58 provided with concentric grooves on their adjacent sides, and of a friction disk 57 having concentric feathers engaging said grooves. The disk 57 is secured to a shaft 56 upon which the disks 58 are rotatably mounted.

Similar friction couplings are provided in chambers 59, 60 and 61, located in the upper half of the casing 2, and in chambers 62 and 63 located left-hand from the shaft 50. The rotary members housed in the chamber 59 consist of two cogged coupling disks 64 shaped like the disks 58 and having also an intermediate disk with concentric feathers. like 57, between them, of a cog-wheel 65 secured to a shaft 56. This coupling serves for the slow erection of the ladder. The coupling housed in the chamber 60 serves for the slow tilting of the ladder. It consists of the cogged disks 68 and the cog-wheel 67, also of a feather-disk like 57 which engages the grooves of the disks 68. The disks Get and 68 are rotatably supported upon the shaft 50, and the respective feathered disks are secured to this shaft, whereas the cog-wheels 65 and 67 are aflixed to the shaft 56. The members contained in the chamber 61 serve for the quick tilting of the ladder and consist of two cogged friction disks 70, a feathered disk located between them, and a cog-wheel 71. The disks 70 are secured to the shaft 56, and the wheel 71 is secured tothe shaft 50; it meshes, however, not directly with the cogged disks 70, but an intermediate cogwheel 72 (Fig. 11) is provided to reverse the direction of rotation. The same is the case with the cogged disks 68 and the cogwheel 67; a cog-wheel 69 (Fig. 10) is inserted between them to reverse the direction of rotation, as necessary in view of the reserve movement the ladder shall make.

Finally, concerning the chambers and the friction couplings, there are two neighbouring chambers 62 and 63 containing grooved friction disks 7 1 and 77 and cog-wheels 73 and 76, which latter are secured to the shaft 56, whereas the feathered disks between the friction disks are affixed to a shaft 75 having at its upper end a bevel-wheel 82. Just as in Figures 10 and 11, the cog-wheel 76 meshes not directly with the cogged friction disks, but an intermediate wheel 78 (Fig. 12) reverses the direction of rotation. The coupling members contained in the chamber 62 serve for the extension of the ladder, and the coupling members con-' tained in the chamber 63 serve for the telescoping of it.

The shaft 56 is the main shaft of the casing 2. Power is transmitted to it from the motor of the vehicle by the mediation of a shaft 81 and two bevel-wheels 80 and 79,

Fig. 8. The shaft 81 may be disconnected shaft 75 (Fig. 8) by the mediation of the bevel-wheel 82, another bevel-wheel 83, and two cog-wheels 84: and 85. The wheels 83 and 84 are affixed to a shaft 4* having also a rope-pulley secured to it, and two endless ropes 16 and 17 1) drive a rope drum 18 whereby extending the ladder and telescoping it is effected.

The driving fluid, .for instance oil, is put under pressure by means of the pump 92, Fig. 7 ,which sucks the oil through a tube 93 from the store space formed by the lower portion of the casing 2, below the coupling chambers. The oil is then forced through pipes 94 and 95 to the control cocks 19 and 20 (Figs. 1 and 7) from which it is conducted to the several coupling chambers in amanner hereinafter described. Theoil returning from these chambers passes again through thecontrol cocks and then through discharge tubes 96 and 97 back into the bot tom space of i the "casing 2.

Thecontrol cocks and the coupling chambers are connected with each otherrbypipes 86,87, 88, 90 and 91 (Fig. 7). The oil getting into a coupling chamber, for instance 54, Fig. 9 presses the loose outer disks (58) against the intermediate disk (57) which is rotated by the respective shaft (56) so that then also the outer disks are rotated, whereby the cog-wheel (55) that meshes with these disks and theshai 't having the cog-wheel 'tlllXBCl to it are rotated,too. It, thera'tter, the supply of oil under pressure is-interrupted, the cogged friction disks are no longer pressed against'the intermediate disk and the transmission of the rotary motion, therefore, ceases. Supplying the oil to the coupling chambers and discharging it from the same is effected by turning the control cocks in the one or the other direction. The cock plugs have levers 22 (Fig. l) afiixed to them; each lever forms a kind of hand which co-operates with a scale'28 with aid of which the proper position of each plug may be determined.

The cams a and b co operate with curved doublehrmed levers 24; and 25 which are looselysupported upon belts or pivots 26 by a. vertical bar 30 guided in a projection.

of the casing 2 and having at its lower end a. transverse piece 31 which maybe adjusted in height, as shown in Figure 7, where the lower end of the bar 30 is threaded and a nut is provided for the adjusting purpose.

The object of this arrangement and cornbination of parts is to limit the movement of the control plugs, as well as to close the control cocks at certain times. The transverse piece 31 co-operates with two eccentrically arranged projections attached to the plugs of the cocks by pins or bolts 32. At the ends of the transverse piece are screws 33 which may be adjusted in it so that the moment of contact with the projections mentioned may be determined as required. The movements of the ladder, as well as its several positions, depend upon the position of the control cocks. It the ladder lies horizontally as in Figure 2, the two cocks are in their Zero position, into which they are moved by certain members which do not form parts of this invention.

The other positions of the cock-plugs are indicated by radial lines. The lines R E (Fig. 2) at the cock l9indicatethe-positions the plug is to have when the ladderis "to be erected. The oil under pressure'is then led either through the pipe 86 (Fig. .7) :to the chamber 5% or throughthe pipe -87 'to the chamber 59, depending on whether the ladder is to be quickly or slowly erected. To tilt the ladder, the plug of the cock 19 is turned into the position N, or N respectively, when the o l under pressure will be led through the pipe 88 to the chamber GO or through the pipe. 89 to the chamber 61, also depending on whether-the motion is to take place slowly or quickly. If the plug of the cock 20 is in the position R or inthe position N (Fig. 2), the movements. otthe ladder, i. e., the erecting and the tilting, proceed with greater speed. As touthe plug of the cook 20, A indicates that position in which the ladder is extended which is etfected by conducting the oil under pressure throughthe pipe 90 into the chamber 62, whereas in the position It ot the plug "the ladder is telescoped which is eiiected "by conducting the oil through the pipe 91 intothc chamber 68. The automatic control of the cooks and also the limitation of their movements is effected both during the elevation and during the lowering ot the ladder. When the ladder has been partially erected and the cam a, has rotated to a certain dein the direction It, the movement of entension ceases at a definite moment, as: the motion of the lever 25 resulting from the form of the cam eitects the lifting of the transverse rod 31 by which the'cock. 20 is brought to the zero-position ()nly when further elevation has taken place and the cam (a has rotated further in the direction B, does the transverse rod again move downwards, permitting the cock 20 to move in the direction A to enable the ladder to be further extended. This cycle of operation, of course takes place-in the reverse order when the ladder is being retracted in a partially elevated position. It follows also that any further downward inclination of the ladder or mast is possible only it it has been or is su'liiciently retracted "as the result of the cam Z5 turning in the direction and the transverse rod 31 falling on the movement of the lever 25, so that the cock 19 can be displaced in the direction N.

The movements of the ladder as described, can be effected either by motive power or by hand-power. In the latter case, the locking and control of the motion of the gear are secured by means of stops or the like which take. the place of the cocks 1.9, 20 and which liberate or lock the gear according to reqn irements.

For the purpose of securing a quicker or slower operation in the erection or depression of the ladder, a combination of levers is provided (Figs. 5 and 6) controlled by a cam 3a intended for the purpose and which is mounted on the shaft 4 of the cam 6 The cam 34 is furnished for a portion of its circumference with a double curved guiding surface formed for a. certain distance about a common centre, (Fig. 5) while the remaining portion is open. It serves to guide the roller 35 of a bell crank lever 36 pivotally mounted on the axis pin .16, and which by means of the link 3? is connected with a second bell-crank lever 38 carried by an axis pin 26. From the lateral arm of the bell-crank lever 38 extends a rod which is connected with the crank pin 32 of the cock 19. The connection of the lever 38, with the link 37 is effected by means of a longitudinal slot 40. Vhen, for example, the ladder is simultaneously extended and elevated with increased speed, as is often the case with a. view to saving time, then when the extension has been partly efi'ected or, in other words, when the roller 85 has reached the depressed cam surface concentric with the centre of the cam the lever system 36, 37, 38, 39 is consttained to move from the position indicated by the full lines in Figure 5 into that indicated by the dotted lines and to advance the cock 19 from the position R to the position R whereby the movement of elevation is slackened. Thereafter the cook 19 may be setto the zero position to stop the elevation or in the event of the elevation being completed, it is brought automatically to the zero-position. The position of the lever system as in F 6, is then that indicated by the full lines. If, on the other hand, it is desired to depress the ladder, then this maybe effected during the movement of the roller in the concentrio curved cam path with only reduced speed as the upper end of the lever 38 can only swing to the left as far as the extremity of the slot 40, to which corresponds the short displacement of the cock from zero to N. l/Vhen, however, the roller 35 leaves the concentric cam path, for example, when the telescoping of the ladder has advanced to a certain stage, then the cock 19 may without constraint be turned into the position N and the last stage of the depression proceeds at increased speed. occupies the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6. By means of inclined surfaces at the exit and entry portions of the curved cam path, the roller 35 may be con strained to move continuously as desired.

Having thus particularly described the nature of my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A carrier for life-saving apparatus, comprising, in combination, means for erecting and for pushing out the carrier proper, means for controlling and operating said erecting and pushing out means, and a cam disk connected with the controlling means of said pushing out means to be operated thereby, and being connected to the controlling means of said erecting means by a lever combination connecting said cam disk with the controlling means of said erecting means, said lever combination being adapted to effect an automatic adjustment of the cont'olling of the said erecting gear and there by a change of speed in the erecting movement, as set forth.

2. A carrier for lifesaving apparatus, comprising, in combination, means for erecting and for pushing out the carrier proper, means for controlling and operating said The lever system then first-mentioned means, a cam disk connected with said controlling means, a lever combination adapted to this connection, as well as an automatic adjustment of the controlling means of said erecting gear and thereby a change of speed in the erecting movement, and a. longitudinal slot provided for the pivotal connection of two certain levers of said lever combination, said longitudinal slot being arranged 'at the end of one of said levers and permitting a free adjustment of the controlling means for the erecting gear, without influencing the other parts of the apparatus.

In testimony whereofl aflix my signature.

FRITZ MAYER. 

